The Federal Executive Council has approved the 2018 Appropriation Bill, making it possible for a early presentation of the estimates to the National Assembly.
The approval was given at a meeting of the council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, confirmed the approval to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.
He said the Executive would liaise with the National Assembly to agree on a date the President will present the document to the federal lawmakers.
“We did promise that the budget will be ready in October and it will be ready in October,” he said.
“We are liaising with the national assembly because they have to approve the date for the president to come and address them to submit the budget.
“Before now we use to submit in December but now the budget is ready in October so there is a very big difference.”
The minister, however, declined to reveal the details of the proposal, saying “it is the president’s prerogative to submit the budget, submit the proposals and give the details. I will be operating above my brief if I do that, the constitution gives that authority to the president.”
